Rubber Mulch

Has anyone tried replacing hardwood mulch with recycled chipped rubber mulch? According to one of the manufacturers: It's non-toxic and safe for all plants, animals and children, does not blow or wash away, does not support mold or fungus growth, will not attract insects or pests, and does not promote weed growth. It does not absorb pesticides, does not freeze. Recycled rubber will not rot, mildew or decompose. No foul composting odor or fumes and meets non-flammability standards.

The downside seems to be that it costs three times more than conventional mulch to apply but would last for at least 10 years at a savings of over $55,000 at current prices to the association. Has anybody used this type of product in your association and how has it worked?

GlenL - the kind of mulch that should be installed is one that is biodegradable and adds nutrients to the soil. especially in PUD's because the soil is usually shot rock, crappy. i have found double-shredded cedar mulch to be the best, though it is a little more costly than others. some prefer the puke colored red mulch, or bark chips which do little if anything for soil improvement.

RonaldW - I graduated with a degree in landscape architecture, while my info to Glen has some personal preference on the aesthetic value of some mulch, the importance of biodegradability of mulch, and that double-shredded mulch will accomplish this upon the soil is a fact.

RonaldW - Yes, red mulch is popular in the northeast as well. IMO it looks artificial, and like someone swallowed a bottle of kaopectate and puked it out. Dot the red mulch and landscape with gnomes and yard art and it looks like Disneyland on acid.

Disneyland on acid? I can only imagine.

One reason for choosing rubber mulch is the fact that you're much less likely to get splinters than with wood mulch. In playground areas, it's probably a good choice.

My HOA requires dark, aged bark mulch. In Oregon that's either aged fir or aged hemlock. Of the two, the hemlock has less splinters so it's better if children will be playing in it, or if people do their own gardening (pulling weeds). However, the aged fir smells better.

In western Oregon, a 2" - 3" layer of bark mulch is used to help dress the beds and to conserve water. Most HOA's replace on a 2-3 year rotation since it either blows away or slowly disintegrates. From a pure cost standpoint, the rubber mulch may be cheaper; I'm not sure how much it helps to retain water - and that may be a higher cost that's not taken into account (I can't say for sure what the rubber mulch does to conserve water).

J. Patrick Moore, CMCA